FOR THE RECORD

Ginj/Genj and
Jabaghchour/Chapakchour
By George Aghjayan *

n the years since the end of the Armenian presence in their

western Armenian homeland, the Turkish government has
changed the names of many of the towns and villages once
inhabited by Armenians. The systematic and purposeful
changing of non-Turkish names to Turkish ones can be seen as
a continuation of the Armenian Genocide. Not only have the name
transformations removed the last bit of evidence of the Armenian
presence, but also it has served to rupture the historical and emotional
ties Armenians have to the land of their ancestors.

I have a great interest in reconnecting Armenians to that lost

knowledge by identifying the villages inhabited by Armenians prior
to the genocide. In the past, I have done so for the districts of Palu,
Kughi and Kochhisar, as well as assisting in individual requests and
in particular the routes taken on the death marches. The effort is difficult and time consuming, requiring the research of varied sources.
Sometimes it is impossible to identify villages that were obliterated during the genocide and never rebuilt. In addition, the
information on some areas is sparse and often times conflicting.
The districts of Ginj and Jabaghchour are prime examples of areas
where confusion has existed.
Centered between Garin, Kharpert, Mush, and Dikranagerd,
the Armenian presence in Ginj and Jabaghchour would seem
obvious. Yet very little is known about the Armenians who lived in
this fertile yet ultimately dangerous region.
Throughout the 19th and 20th centuries, Ginj and
Jabaghchour were attached to multiple and varied provinces. It is
informative to track the available data over time. Before the separation of the Diyarbekir province, Ginj was attached to the kaza
(county) of Lije, while Jabaghchour was attached to the kaza of
Palu. The 18712 Diyarbekir provincial yearbook states there were
234 non-Muslim males and 1394 Muslim males in 659 households
in the 29 villages (other yearbooks indicate 32 villages) of the Ginj
nahiye (sub-district). Armenians were the only non-Muslims living

in the district. The nahiye of

Jabaghchour is left blank in the same
yearbook but 90 villages are stated to
exist. I believe the lack of data is indicative of the remoteness of the region.
In the 18823 Mamuretulaziz
provincial yearbook, during the brief
time Jabaghchour was attached to that
province, 472 Armenian males and
4730 Muslim males were stated to live
in 2718 households in 94 villages. Also
in the early 1880s, Boghos Natanian
(Ardosr Hayasdani) indicates there were 4875 Armenians in
1544 households in 14 villages of Jabaghchour.
Vital Cuinet (La Turquie dAsie) in the early 1890s, when
Jabaghchour and Ginj were attached to the Bitlis province, states
an Armenian population of 7930 in the district of Ginj and 4,335
Armenians in the district of Jabaghchour. Cuinet states the
Muslim population as 18,467 in Ginj and 16,465 in Jabaghchour.
Armenian sources detail 25 villages in these districts with an
Armenian population prior to the genocide. The 19123 census
of the Armenian Patriarchate states there were approximately
4300 Armenians in almost 500 households (see Raymond
Kevorkian and Paul Paboudjian, Les Armeniens dans lEmpire
Ottoman al la veille du Genocide and Teotig, Koghkota Trkahai
Hokevoraganoutiun). These totals indicate a substantial decline in
the Armenian population following the Hamidian massacres.
Ottoman census records also support the massive reduction
in the Armenian population of Ginj and Jabaghchour from
1890 to 1914. Ottoman records indicate an increase in the
Muslim population of Genj (including the district of Khoulp)
from 30,845 in 1890 to 39,263 in 1906 to 51,011 in 1914. While
the same records indicate the Armenian population as 5,166 in
1890, 5,952 in 1906 and 5,910 in 1914. Thus, the Ottoman census indicates the Muslim population growing 4.5 times the
Armenian population.

* I wish to thank Rev. Dr. George Leylegian and Armen Aroyan for their kind help, limitless wealth of information and shared passion for our homeland.
April 25, 2009

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Aghjayan

These figures are unadjusted for migration (thought to be minimal from this region) and the undercounting of women, children
and Armenians, but do give a sense of the stunted growth in the
Armenian population. I estimate that over 30 percent of the
Armenian population of this region was either wiped out or converted to Islam during the 1890s. In addition, of the 14 villages in
Jabaghchour indicated by Natanian (and confirmed by travelers to
some of these villages) to have an Armenian population around
1,880, 8 no longer did in 1914.
There are very few sources that contain maps of the region
with the Armenian villages properly identified with their current
names. The Kevorkian/Paboudjian book mentioned attempts
this as does Robert Hewsen in the massive tome Armenia: An

Historical Atlas. However, both have errors and omissions for the
region of Ginj.
Hewsen leaves most of the villages unidentified and misstates
the location for the ones he does present. While not meant to be
an exact representation, Kevorkian/Papoudjian suffers from similar mistakes. Other sources most often simply do not identify all
of the villages.
Some of the problems stem from the numerous and conflicting
name changes. For instance, Jabaghchour is now known as Bingol,
but in the 1935 Turkish census there was another town by the name
of Bingol (now called Karliova, previously known as Kaniresh). In
addition, what is now known as Genj was called Darahini or Dara
Yeni whereas what was Genj (Ginj) is now called Kalekoy. a

Armenian Inhabited Villages

The following table details the Armenian inhabited villages along with alternate names, location and population according to the 19123
Armenian census. The roads are represented as they are today.

Village

Variants

Current Name

Latitude

Longitude Households Armenians

Alipiran
Ankak
Artushen
Boglan
Churuk
Darbasan
Dik
Gelan
Gudzou
Jabaghchour
Jabugnoud
Kamaran
Kekhmoud
Kerengan
Kharabe
Madrak
Mousyan
Noreg
Oghnoud
Parkhant
Parkhou
Poghi
Simsor
Tokhlan
Veysimerik

Alipunar, Alipunarky
Angig, Ankig, Angag
Ardushin, Ardushen, Arshen
Poklan, Boghlan, Buglan
Chirik, Cherik, Chesseg
Tarbassan
Duk, Dek
Kilen, Kalan, Gealan, Geylan
Gedzou-Kiugh, Koulaz, Kouzou, Guzi
Chevlik, Chavlig, Cholig, Chalig, Chapakchur
Janut, Chapugnoud, Nederan
Ghamara, Khumaran, Gameran
Kehmut, Kekhmout, Kakhmout
Kurungan, Krengan, Kerikan, Kezikan
Kharab, Harabe
Madrag, Madrakkilotan
Musyan
Nourik
Oghnut, Oghnat, Gnk
Farkhan, Parkhand, Farhan
Perkhi, Perho
Pohik, Boghe, Bor

Serpmekaya

391600
385500
384900
385800
391700
385400
385000
392500
384600
385300
384600
384400
385100
384200
385700
385100
384700
385300
390800
385900
384700
385100
385500
391600
385400

410300
410100
410000
410300
405700
403600
403900
410500
410900
402900
405300
410800
405500
411000
410200
403500
402700
405800
405300
403700
410700
410300
403500
405900
410400

Toplar, Tokliyan
Vosemerg

Yenibaak
Solhan
Taslicay
Tarbasan
Dikky
Geitli
Bingol
Yenisu
Arslanbeyli
Gelintepe
Harabe Ky
Kiladir
Yama
Norik
Gynk
Ipinar
Asmakaya
Elmasirti
Ekinyolu
Toklular
Esmeta

Total
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| T H E A R M E N I A N W E E K L Y | April 25, 2009

13
6
35
8
4
8
18
20
20
65
24
8
2
3
15
50
5
6
74
60
11
7
6
20
5

150
63
240
77
30
64
22
200
100
590
250
56
17
34
161
453

493

4,221

59
800
529
80
42
54
150